holman



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. W. HOLMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BILLIARD-TABLE CUSHION.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 20,156, dated May 4, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HOLMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Cushions for Billiard-Tables, which I denominate the flexible-face cushiong and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specication, wherein- Figure l, represents a vertical section of my improvement and Fig. 2, a plan of the same.

In all cushions heretofore constructed great difficulty has been experienced from the ball partially embedding` itself in the cushion and not going off at a corresponding angle of deflection in consequence of the aforesaid embedding of the ball in the cush ion. To obviate this difficulty cork has been used as a coating to the india rubber cushion, but the same soon becomes broken from the concussion and is more injury than benefit, particularly after the exterior covering is worn partially away. Leather has also been used as a covering to the cork and as a covering for other elastic cushions, but this becomes loose and buckling by the constant blows, and does not distribute the concussion of the ball over and considerable extent of surface; hence the ball partially embeds itself in said cushion.

The nature of my said invention consists in the use of a strip of whalebone attached to the india rubber or elastic cushion, for the purposes of deflecting the billiard ball at a corresponding angle of incidence, because the ball can not embed itself in said elastic cushion, neither can the whalebone be injured by the constant concussion, but acts instantaneously and with great power because the blow of the ball on the whalebone is distributed over some extent of surface, instead of embedding itself and that surface being very elastic deflects the ball and scarcely retards its speed in the least. In the ordinary cushion the ball partially embedding itself in the cushion when struck very hard almost always jumps slightly from the table but with my cushion this is entirely prevented, and the ball will always roll on the table even when propelled with very great velocity withoutjumping.

In the drawing a, is the table with the edge surrounding the same as usual.

c, is the elastic cushion.

CZ, is the filling of felt or similar material.

e, is the covering, all in any usual manner.

f is a strip of whalebone attached to the face of the rubber cushion c, at the point for receiving the concussion of the billiard ball. This strip of whalebone in connection with the elastic cushion acts in the manner before detailed.

I do not claim an elastic cushion for billiard tables, but I am not aware that a whalebone facing has ever before been applied to said elastic cushion whereby the new and useful results specified are attained.

Therefore what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The whalebone facing to the elastic cushions of billiard tables substantially as, and for the purposes specified.

In wit-ness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this second day of May 1857.

GEO. W. HOLMAN.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD. 

